Song Challenge: Just for
by Windfighter
Summary: Lalli awakes to the sound of someone knocking on his door. On the other side is an injured and crying Emil and Lalli instantly lets him inside so he can help his friend.


Finally the J-story for the song challenge! I was planning to write three versions of this story, buuuut I'm tired of this song now and I want to move forward in the challenge, so. Maybe I'll write the other two later. Maybe.

Inspired by _Just for_ by Nickelback.

 **Warnings:** Abusive relationship. But don't worry, Lalli isn't the evil one in this story!

* * *

Lalli blinked, turned around. There was a light tapping on his door. Very light actually, like the person who was knocking wasn't entirely sure they wanted Lalli to open. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, yawned and rolled out from under the bed. It was early evening, he noticed when he looked out of the window, so it was about time for him to get up anyway. He yawned again, opened the door and blinked.

Emil looked at the floor. One hand was hiding half of his face and the other cradled his side. His shoulders shook and his feet moved nervously. Lalli placed two fingers under Emil's chin, lifted his face. Tears were streaming from Emil's eyes and Lalli let out a sigh.

"Again?"

Emil hesitated, then nodded. Lalli stepped to the side and gestured for Emil to enter. Emil glanced around, took a step back before he took a deep breath and entered. He started shaking even more as Lalli closed the door and Lalli looked at his friend, noticed that his clothes were dirty, stained by mud and blood and dripping of water.

"Why?" he asked as he started removing Emil's coat.

Emil shook his head and Lalli forced him to take his hand of his face and side, let the coat drop to the floor before looking at Emil, who was staring at the floor again. There was a cut over Emil's cheek which was bleeding pretty hard, the whole right side of his face was shifting in different shades of red, green and blue and he was swollen around the eye. Emil turned away from Lalli's gaze and Lalli placed a hand on Emil's back, gently led him into the apartment and forced him to sit on the bed.

"Stay here."

Emil's eyes widened, he grabbed Lalli's arm and stopped him.

"D... don't leave me... please..."

"Band-aid", Lalli stated and pointed to Emil's cheek.

Emil's eyes were tearing up again and Lalli sat down next to him, waited. Emil's breathing was shallow and he held his arm over his chest again, as if it was causing him pain. Lalli clenched his hands, stared at his knees.

"Why?" he tried again.

Emil whispered something that sounded awfully much like 'my fault' and Lalli clenched his fists harder. It was the fifth time Emil had knocked on his door injured and crying in just as many months and each time Emil had seemed less and less like the person that befriended Lalli in the Silent World. Five months... Lalli pulled at his sleeves. Had it already been that long? He glanced at Emil again, got up.

"Band-aid", he explained again. "In bathroom."

Emil took a shaky breath, nodded, and Lalli went to the bathroom, picked up the first aid-kit he had gotten after the first time Emil showed up all damaged and returned to the bed. Emil had stopped crying and was pulling at his pants instead. Lalli watched him for a while before sitting down next to him.

"Might sting", he said as he opened the box.

Emil barely flinched as Lalli cleaned the wound and put a band-aid over it. Emil was still gripping his side when Lalli was done and he stared at his friend.

"Take off."

"Buh?"

"Shirt. Take off."

Emil hesitated again, then slowly removed his shirt. The right side of his chest was as colorful as his face and Lalli touched it.

"Happened?"

"I... I..."

Emil swallowed, looked away.

"Know it's him, Emil."

"I shouldn't have... I'm sorry..."

Emil grabbed his shirt and made a move to leave, but Lalli grabbed his arm.

"Stay here."

"He'll get worried."

"You leave, I worry. Stay."

"I... I can't..."

Emil looked away and Lalli took a tighter grip around his arm.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come here..."

"Glad you do", Lalli muttered.

"I don't want you to worry. I'm sorry, I can... I'll be alright. He doesn't mean to. And I..."

"No", Lalli said before Emil could finish the sentence. He had heard it before, didn't want to hear it again, didn't want Emil to even _think_ he deserved it. Emil pulled at his pants again and Lalli watched it in the corner of his eye.

"Stay here", Lalli said again.

"He... I can't, Lalli. He'll get upset."

Emil placed a hand over the bruises on his chest and Lalli bit his lip. He couldn't let Emil return to _him_ , he just couldn't.

"I'll talk to him."

Emil's eyes widened and he grabbed Lalli's arm, squeezed it tightly.

"You can't. Please, Lalli. He can't know. He'll... He'll hurt you. Please leave it, I can handle it!"

Lalli met Emil's eyes, dried the tears that were running down his cheek.

"Can see that."

" _Please._ "

Lalli pulled free from Emil's grip.

"Stay. I'll call in sick. Won't leave you."

"No, I... I'll go home. I'm sorry I b..."

"No bother", Lalli looked Emil straight in the eyes. "Am glad you came. Want to help."

"You've..." Emil touched the band-aid. "You've done more than enough."

"I can't..." Lalli clenched his hands. _I can't let him keep this up. I can't let him keep hurting Emil. I have to..._

Emil leaned against the wall and Lalli looked at him, let his eyes trace over the bruises, cuts and scars that covered Emil's previously unbattered body. How had it gone so bad so quickly? Lalli wasn't sure he wanted to know. He didn't want to know exactly how badly he had failed at being Emil's friend. Emil closed his eyes, his breathing was still shallow, and Lalli got up.

"Stay", he said for the fourth time.

"I can't, Lalli, you know I can't."

Emil didn't open his eyes and Lalli put his hands to his sides.

"Not asking, you're staying."

Emil didn't move and Lalli looked away.

 _I'll make it right. This time, I'll protect you._

"Be back soon, calling work."

Emil still didn't move.

"You don't have to..."

"Want to."

Emil took a shaky breath and nodded. Lalli tried smiling, but couldn't bring himself to it.

"Don't leave."

Emil hesitated, then let out a sigh.

"I won't."

"I'll hurry."

"No rush, don't mind me."

Emil's voice was void of emotions and for a second Lalli wondered if he was doing the right thing but no, it had to be. He couldn't let this go on. He put on his boots, opened the door and looked at Emil again.

"Back soon."

Emil nodded and Lalli closed the door behind him. He looked at his feet, reconsidered. Was he doing the right thing? But he wanted to, he wanted so badly to get his hands on Emil's partner, wanted so badly to let him experience the pain he kept putting Emil through. He clenched his hands, moved downstairs to the phone and picked it up, dialed the number to his boss. He should, he really should, but... Emil would hate him if he did. He didn't want that. His boss answered and Lalli's grip around the phone hardened as he stuttered his excuse about why he couldn't come to work. His boss told hom to feel better soon and Lalli thanked him, ended the call. He stared at the exit, considered his options. He was itching to go over there, tell him to never approach Emil again. He wanted to pick Emil's stuff up, tell Emil he could stay at his place as long as he needed to. Lalli wanted to do that so bad his heart screamed at him.

Lalli let out a sigh, turned his back to the door and went back to the apartment. He would lay low, for now. Maybe soon Emil would understand, would see that it was possible for him to break free, that Lalli would help him, stand beside him until everything was right again. He looked at Emil, heard him snore lightly, worn after what had happened. Lalli clenched his hands again. And if Emil _didn't_ understand it on his own, then he'd take matters into his own hands, he'd make the other regret everything he had put Emil through. Lalli sat down on the edge of the bed, gently pulled Emil into a more comfortable position and put a blanket over him, pulled his fingers through Emil's hair.

"Sleep well. I'll be here if you need me."

Emil's hand grabbed Lalli's and Lalli smiled sadly, hugged Emil's hand.

"I'll help you. I'll make everything right again."


End file.
